Few local churches embrace e-tithing

Friday

Jan 25, 2013 at 11:47 AM

It’s a familiar scenario — scurrying for cash, a check or a pen to fill in blanks on the tithing envelope as the collection plate approaches.

Kris JohnsonStaff Writer

It’s a familiar scenario — scurrying for cash, a check or a pen to fill in blanks on the tithing envelope as the collection plate approaches. Or perhaps you can relate to that guilty feeling in the pit of your stomach when you’ve forgotten to bring cash to participate in the deed. The Associated Press reported that paying tithes — an annual 10 percent donation Bible mandate taught throughout Christianity — started going high tech about a decade ago. Churchgoers can have money automatically debited from their bank accounts as often as they please, or make payments online at their convenience. Other options include calling in to church officials to make payments over the phone by providing card or check numbers. In a society that is steadily becoming more technologically driven, many people say they’d enjoy the convenience of being able to give to their church electronically. Several bills are already paid without a paper trail, from rent to cellphones to utilities. Though some local residents would like the option, they say their church leaders aren’t taking the bait and are continuing with the traditional means of giving. “My church uses the traditional way,” said 24-year-old Lucas LeCompte of Gray, a member of St. Louis Catholic Church in Bayou Blue. “I really want an electronic way because I always have my card on me, but not always cash or check.” Raymond Solito said his church, St. Lucy Catholic Church in Houma, does it the same way.“We have ushers that pass the offering baskets,” he said. LeCompte said it’s simple to incorporate electronic tithes into church services. “One way to do it is to set up tablets with card swipers and let people go before or after Mass,” he said. “They can get a receipt emailed to them also. It would cost fees, but the number of offerings would increase.”Leaders at Living Word Church in Houma, including the Rev. René Monette, realized using one payment method didn’t have to mean discarding the other. The church’s members have the option of giving through a “giving kiosk” that allows them to use debit or credit cards and select what ministry they’d like to donate to — music, youth, men’s or women’s. No cash passes hands, officials said, as the money is electronically transferred directly to the church’s bank account. Mostly younger members use the kiosk. The Rev. Don Ross of First United Methodist Church in Houma said his church uses automatic account drafting, a method even he utilizes to pay tithes to the church as well as all his other bills. “We draft payments from members’ bank accounts about once or twice a month,” he said. “The neat thing about it is that when you forget, it doesn’t. We’ve talked about doing the other electronic methods, but that’s all we use for now.“I carry very little money,” he added. “I expect people to take my credit card. People are so used to doing that. So that’s something we’ve talked about. I don’t think one method is better than the other — electronic or traditional. It’s a matter of convenience. I pay all my bills online so I don’t have to pay postage. I don’t write checks, and I’m never late. The modern, electronic way of doing it is a healthy way of keeping a commitment.”